THE Everest of English canals has been re-opened after a landslip last year rendered it unusable.

Following months of hard work, British Waterways engineers and contractors unveiled the finished canal on Saturday to the delight of boat enthusiasts all over the country.

The embankment collapsed at the River Irwell aqueduct at Mills Hill last year and builders have been working ever since to bring the area to its former glory.

And after almost 12 months of labour and a price tag of £1.27M, boats are once again allowed free reign of the trans-Pennine Rochdale canal, which forms part of one of the key tourist canal rings, attracting holidaymakers from around the world.

Experts at British Waterways believe that when the canal wall was repaired at Mills Hill 79 years ago, it was back-filled with sand.

Water gradually eroded a small area and, under the pressure of the water, tonnes of sand, rock and rubble burst over the bank.

Using recovered materials from the canal, engineers re-built the wash wall to retain its 200 year old heritage value.

The Rochdale Canal is known as the Everest of Canals because at its peak it is 600 ft (183 metres) above sea level, the highest in the country.

It was a busy waterway for a century, but the growth of the railway and, later, road transport led to its gradual decline and it closed to through navigation in the 1930s, although long stretches were still in use by leisure boaters. It was one of a handful canals to remain in private hands until a few years ago.

A 30-year campaign by enthusiasts, backed by £24M of investment, led to the canal being re-opened in 2002.

Debbie Lumb, General Manager at British Waterways said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have completed the repair works to the Irk Breach at Chadderton, as its such a popular area for walkers, cyclists and anglers. Our engineering team have worked tirelessly to complete the works so we can fully open the Rochdale Canal."

British Waterways cares for a 2,000-mile network of historic canals and navigable rivers throughout Britain, and the Rochdale links Manchester to the cities of Yorkshire and on to the east coast.